


In the Belly of the Beast

by slstmaraudersjple



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Non-Graphic Torture, Protective!Klaus, bill forbes is a terrible father, caroline has nightmares, klaus likes cuddling, klaus teaches caroline how to be a vampire, kol uses his baseball bat, not bill forbes friendly, original sibling bonding time, rebekah is a secret marshmallow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:21:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23958343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slstmaraudersjple/pseuds/slstmaraudersjple
Summary: After Caroline is rescued from being tortured by Bill Forbes, she has nightmares. She ends up seeking comfort from Klaus, because even monsters can't be worse than being tortured by your dad for being a vampire, right?
Relationships: Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson
Comments: 30
Kudos: 258
Collections: However Long It Takes





	1. In the Belly of the Beast

**Author's Note:**

> ***This was first posted to FFN under the same username.***
> 
> AU Canon divergence. I feel like the whole “Caroline is tortured by her dad” scene has been heavily overlooked, so let’s try to put a Klaroline spin on it. Let’s say that Klaus has been flirting with Caroline the entire time prior and she’s been rebuffing him… until now. And no Mikaelson siblings have been killed, just Esther and Mikael. And Tyler and Caroline are really good friends, but not dating.
> 
> Warnings: Non-graphic mentions of torture. Equal parts angsty and fluffy.

**In the Belly of the Beast**

Caroline woke up in a blind panic, the nightmares causing her fear to rise to the surface. One word came to mind.

_Safety._

She needed to find safety.

Her father’s face followed her in her sleep, taunting her, accusing her, calling her _MonsterMonsterMonsterMonsterMonster—_

Before she knew it, she had whooshed out of her home, and found herself standing in an unfamiliar part of town.

Panic began to set in, the edges of her vision blurring.

She didn’t recognize where she was.

She was _so hungry_ , and her fangs threatened to pierce the inside of her cheeks, but even the thought of blood made her want to throw up.

She swallowed back a rising sob, blinked back tears.

She turned around—

“What brings you here in the middle of the night, love?”

She whirled around.

_Klaus._

He was standing close to her, an expression of curiosity on his features.

Was she… dreaming?

* * *

He took in her trembling pajama-clad form – a cotton tank top and matching shorts – and he raised an eyebrow when he saw her bare feet but said nothing. His expression grew dark as he saw the wounds on her body in various states of healing and noted the dried blood. He smelled her rising fear and panic and saw the paleness of her skin contrasted against the wild, panicked expression on her face.

He had never seen Caroline so unraveled, and it was unsettling, in an oddly beautiful, mesmerizing way.

“Caroline,” he finally bit out, his voice low and concerned. “What happened? Why are you here and not with your friends?”

Caroline stared at him, tears pooling at the corners of her eyes, her lips quivering. She was grey, and she looked spooked.

She cautiously took a step towards him, apprehension on her face as she reached out one hand to gently touch his chest.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she made contact, and his gaze narrowed.

A nightmare, perhaps? Did she think she was dreaming? Was she—

His thoughts were interrupted as a small cry left her lips before she took another step forward so that she was standing in front of him, and then her arms were around him.

He immediately froze at the unexpected touch, and then he smelled her tears.

Caroline was crying.

She was… seeking comfort.

From _him_.

He hesitantly placed his hands on the small of her back, tucking her head under his chin. And then he carefully lowered them to the floor, putting one arm under her knees so that she was perched sideways on his lap.

He didn’t know what to say, so he didn’t say anything. He dutifully held her and listened to her breathing slow, tried to not think about the way she was pressed so close to him and the fact that out of all of her so-called friends, that she came to _him_ , and to his surprise, she eventually fell asleep, her head tucked into the crook of his neck.

_And that was how Klaus Mikaelson ended up holding Caroline Forbes on the forest floor behind the Mikaelson home at 3AM after Caroline had been tortured by Bill Forbes._

* * *

Caroline was reptilian in the way she slept, subconsciously seeking out warmth. She’d all but commandeered the blankets, somehow managing to cocoon herself in them before snuggling into him with a small sigh of contentment.

And then, she had slept so soundly that she barely stirred at the sound of Rebekah storming into his room to yell at him, before abruptly trailing off when she finally noticed that he wasn’t alone. His sister had huffed her indignation before leaving, closing the door behind her a tad more gentle than before. She silently came back moments later and dropped off two blood bags in a bowl of ice on the nightstand next to him before she left without a word, her gaze softening the slightest when she absorbed his nod of thanks.

Klaus didn’t like the way that Caroline had been so grey that he – and Rebekah, even standing as far away as the other side of his bedroom, if her narrowed gaze had made any indication of her silent observation – noticed the beginning stages of desiccation.

Last he had checked, Mystic Falls had yet to run out of blood bags, so there was no reason she should be a starving baby vampire. But then again, if she had been taught by the Salvatore brothers, there was the possibility that she hadn’t yet learned to feed from the vein. That would be something for him to remedy as soon as possible.

As he mused on his thoughts, Caroline finally stirred, attempting to claim the last vestiges of sleep as she attempted to burrow herself into his side. He couldn’t contain his quiet amused chuckles at how adorable she was.

When she finally woke up and realized where she was, she sprang back with a horrified gasp.

“Good morning love,” he murmured, smiling at her.

“Oh my god.” She whispered, leaning back on her elbows as she attempted to untangle herself from the bedding.

“I can assure you that you’re not dreaming.” he said, turning over and bracing himself over her, neatly trapping her under the blankets as he placed his hands on either side of her face. He leaned in and asked softly, “Now tell me, Caroline, what was it that scared you so badly that you would rather be here with me than out there?”

Before she could process his question and her response, her phone buzzed from the nightstand, interrupting her thought process.

Klaus watched her with curiosity when she shook her head, scrambling backwards until her head hit the headboard. She curled into herself, grabbed a pillow, and clutched it like a lifeline.

“Ignoring calls from…” He glanced at the caller ID on the phone, and inquired, “Tyler? The werewolf boy?”

Caroline shook her head again, and curiosity got the better of him. He picked up her phone, answering the call with a calm, “Hello, Tyler. Now, tell me. Why would Caroline be ignoring calls from her loved ones?”

Tyler’s response was biting with concern. _“Klaus? Why do you have Caroline’s phone? Did you do anything to her? Is she okay?”_

“I’m okay,” Caroline said quietly, her voice hoarse.

 _“Why are you with Klaus?”_ He demanded, ignoring Klaus’ question.

Caroline’s eyes flickered over to him before she said hesitantly, “I… had nightmares.”

“Care, your dad almost killed you yesterday—”

Caroline flinched at the response, squeezing her eyes shut.

“Regardless, it appears that Caroline has chosen to come to me. And she is welcome here as long as she wants to be. Do convey that message to her friends and mother, will you? Unless you’d like me to personally convey the message.” Klaus finally responded before hanging up.

He looked over at Caroline and commented, “I must insist that you have some blood, love. You’re far too pale for a baby vampire.”

Caroline shook her head wildly, and he gestured to the blood bags on his nightstand as he continued calmly, “I don’t care if you take it from a blood bag, in coffee or juice or alcohol. We can work on your… feeding habits, later.”

When she shook her head again, rasping out a choked, “I can’t,” he suggested quietly, “I could compel you to feed.”

A strangled sound rose from her throat as she recoiled, scrambling back and burying her head into the pillow, her form shaking from fear.

His eyes narrowed at the response, but he tucked away that tidbit of information to look into later.

“Caroline,” he said softly. She shook her head, refusing to look at him. Her hands fisted into the pillow so tightly it tore at the seams, but she didn’t appear to notice.

He carefully reached out to take one of her hands, interlacing their fingers together.

“I promise you,” he stated, injecting sincerity and levity into his voice, “that I will never compel you without your permission. When you are with me, I will do everything in my power to protect you, with everything I have. You will be safe with me.” Caroline didn’t respond, and he added softly, “You trusted me to chase away your nightmares last night. Will you trust me to help you through them?”

She finally responded, her trembling form still refusing to look at him, her voice muffled, shaky, “You promise?”

He solemnly vowed, “On my honor.”

When she finally looked up at him, hesitantly, he firmly stated, “But you still need to feed.”

As she shook her head again, he sighed and reached up with a claw tip to slice along his neck, letting blood flow freely.

Caroline let out a low moan, a gasped _“No”_ that was equal parts fearful and delighted, as her veins darkened and her monster reared its head.

“Come, love. From the vein is best.” He crooned, gathering her as she lunged at him and sunk her fangs into his neck. He easily caught her, reversing their positions so that he was leaning against the headboard, holding her as she fed.

She initially frantically attempted to pull back, but he placed one hand on the back of her neck, keeping her in place. Her monster’s hunger eventually overwhelmed her fear, drawn by the scent of blood and just as thirsty.

He finally allowed her to pull away once she was sated, color returning to her cheeks.

“When was the last time you fed prior to just now, Caroline?”

She drew back, scrambling to put distance between them, grabbing the throw at the foot of the bed and wrapping it around herself before she finally responded, “I had a blood bag two… three days ago.”

“That’s far too long to go without blood, sweetheart.” He chided softly. “You’re much too young to begin denying yourself blood.”

“I _can’t_ ,” she bit out, swallowing. She blinked, her eyelashes wet with unshed tears.

“Caroline.” This time, his voice was a low warning, hinting at his impatience, booking no more room for arguments. “I have been patient thus far, but if you continue to be stubborn, I can just as easily get answers from your mother or Tyler, and I can assure you that I will be nowhere as patient when I do.”

She chanced a look at him, flinching, and she whispered, “My dad…”

“Is part of a faction of vampire hunters.” He stated.

Betrayal flickered through her eyes, and she asked, her voice low and accusing, “You knew?”

He met her gaze unflinchingly as he responded, “Yes. But since my informants revealed that he was nowhere near Mystic Falls, he wasn’t determined to be an immediate threat. This is something that will be immediately rectified, of course.”

Caroline shook her head, tears escaping as she said helplessly, “But he’s my _dad_.”

“A father who would have killed you had it not been for the interference of your mother and Tyler.” He stressed, his voice hard and unmoving. “That is unforgivable, and I will not have such a close threat to your life, Caroline.”

She closed her eyes, crying quietly.

Klaus sighed, tentatively reaching for her and gathering her into his arms as he questioned her softly, “What did he try to do?”

Caroline finally responded, her voice barely louder than a whisper, as she trembled in his hold. “He thought that he could cure my vampirism.”

He was quiet as he processed her words. What a foolish notion. Perhaps her father had good intentions, but that was nullified the moment he decided that it was perfectly acceptable to torture Caroline to the point that she feared the very sight of blood. Considering that she was a very young vampire, the repercussions would be long-lasting, and the thought of her refusing to feed until the brink of desiccation was unacceptable.

The wheels of his mind turned, the chess pieces moving as he formed his plan of attack. He had no doubt that Elijah and Kol would help.

First, he needed to feed his baby vampire and ensure that she could safely feed from the vein.

Then, it looked like he and his brothers had some vampire hunters to kill. He would need Bill Forbes alive, because he had plans for Caroline’s father. Plans that his little vampire would no doubt disapprove of, but what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. All Caroline would know was that Bill Forbes would disappear from her life.

And last but not least, to discover the identity of who had terrorized her with compulsion. It had to have happened when she was human, and he had his suspicions. A visit to the Salvatores or any of Caroline’s friends should confirm those suspicions.

…he only hoped Rebekah and Caroline would be able to get along in his absence _without_ killing each other or burning the house down.

“Well love,” he finally murmured, brushing a kiss along her temple, “considering that you’re a vampire and vampires sustain on blood, I’d have to say that whoever taught you to feed on animals was a poor example. The younger Salvatore, I imagine. We’ll have to rectify that, immediately.”

When Caroline looked at him with a measure of guarded curiosity, he gave her an indulgent smile and purred, “Tell me, love, have you ever gone hunting with another vampire?”

* * *

**_FIN._ **


	2. In the Lair of the Beast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***This was first posted to FFN under the same username.***
> 
> This is for Marked_by_moonlight, who asked for more. This is sort of a drabble-sized sequel to “In the Belly of the Beast” and it takes a couple days later.
> 
> Warning(s): non-graphic references to torture. Features Kol with a baseball bat.

**In the Lair of the Beast**

“Does Caroline know about this?” Bill Forbes asked.

The vampire hunter was hanging from chains in the ceiling, his body bloodied and battered with bruises and injuries.

“Your daughter had no choice given to her when she became a vampire,” Klaus commented, ignoring the question. “And yet, you strove to punish her for it.”

There was a familiar stubborn glint in Bill’s eye as he responded with a hard voice, “My daughter is dead.”

The Original Hybrid responded coolly, “Despite everything she has experienced, your daughter has somehow managed to retain the last vestiges of her humanity, which is more than what can be said about you. Did you know that she still cries because of you?”

At the flicker of doubt that crossed Bill’s face, he smiled darkly and continued, “And did you know that you terrified her so much that you drove her right into my arms? I would thank you, but the fact that you hurt her is unforgivable. I believe it is only fitting that you get to experience the same choices she had, which would be none. I would have preferred to torture you, let you beg for the mercy of a swift death, and deny you, but I think that this will be far more appropriate.”

With that, Klaus nodded to Kol, who smirked and sank his fangs into his wrist before shoving the blood into Bill’s mouth.

Bill spluttered, choking down the blood.

After a moment, Kol pulled his wrist back, and Klaus snapped Bill’s neck.

The brothers waited until Bill Forbes woke up, and they forced human blood down his throat.

Once the transition was complete, Klaus put two fingers under Bill’s chin, forcing him to look him in the eye as he compelled him, “You will never succeed or make any attempt, including asking others for assistance, to break this compulsion. You will never succeed or make any attempt to take your own life or to willingly allow another human or creature to kill you. You will leave Mystic Falls immediately and never return. You will never attempt or succeed in seeing or reaching out to your daughter, Caroline Forbes, in any way, shape, or form. You will never attempt or succeed in seeing or reaching out to your ex-wife, Elizabeth Forbes, in any way, shape, or form. You will hunt down any and all vampire hunters that currently exist and kill their entire families, and everyone they know, with the exception of anyone who currently lives in Mystic Falls. And when you are finally done, you will discard your daylight ring in bright sunlight. Once you leave Mystic Falls, you will forget that the events of this day ever happened, and you will forget the contents of this conversation, including the identities of my family and myself.”

Then, they gave him a daylight ring and set him loose.

“I wish you’d let me break his kneecaps first, brother.” Kol commented wistfully, slinging a baseball bat over one shoulder before turning to give Klaus a sly smirk as he asked, “Now, off to hunt with Sweet Caroline?”

Klaus smiled as he recalled the past couple days. Caroline was a most thorough student – quick, determined, and devoted, as well as fierce and brave, for her willingness to face her fears, even as she tried to deny the way she clung to him in her sleep and had to be coaxed to take his blood to accelerate her healing. It had been two days, and she still had yet to ask for her own guest room. He finally responded, affection evident in his voice, “Isn’t she stunning?”

Kol grinned as he recalled another conversation from another time. “Well, she certainly looked good walking away from you that other time. Try not to let her walk away this time, will you?”

Klaus scoffed. “As if I’d let that happen.”

* * *

**_FIN._ **


	3. In the Heart of the Beast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***This was first posted to FFN under the same username.***
> 
> Surprise! This is another drabble-sized sequel to “In the Belly of the Beast” and it takes place around the same time as “In the Lair of the Beast.” It’ll be the last sequel set in this world for now, so enjoy!
> 
> Warning(s): none.

**In the Heart of the Beast**

His baby vampire was a most curious combination of graceful and awkward, almost like a newborn colt learning to walk on its long legs.

Caroline, reigning Miss Mystic Falls, was graceful and elegant and perfect.

Caroline, the baby vampire learning to hunt, was messy and gangly, but demonstrated admirable willpower and self-control. It only took her a couple tries before she learned the neatest way to bite into a vein without blood splattering, to gauge how much she could feed from a victim and still leave them alive. Caroline reigned in her monster with remarkable control for one so young, and Klaus found himself both pleased and impressed.

Not that Klaus cared about whether his meals lived or died, but he knew Caroline would. Originally, he thought to force her to lose control, to have her experience her first massacre and the rush of power that came with taking so many lives. But he found himself both hesitant and reluctant, as he knew that doing so would sever whatever fragile connection they had, and he might lose her for good.

That would be absolutely unacceptable, and it was not an option.

So instead, he chose to teach her to hunt, to feed from the vein, to teach her control of her monster.

The groundwork was already laid out before him.

She had chosen to go to him, for comfort. For protection, even if she hadn’t said so. She hadn’t left his home yet, appeared to have no inclination of doing so. She slept in his bed, curled up close to him in her sleep, sighed in contentment when he trailed his fingers over her skin.

She’d made no other efforts to act on the mutual attraction between them, and he wasn’t interested in forcing something when she clearly wasn’t ready yet.

He could be patient, for her.

After all, his baby vampire was already so exceptional in a world of monsters.

But Caroline would be _his_ exception.

* * *

**_FIN._ **

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback would be greatly appreciated!
> 
> Also, I've decided that moving forward, all of my Klaroline one-shots will be posted under a collection titled "However Long It Takes" (HoweverLongItTakes) so if you're looking to read more one-shots, they'll be easy to find!


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